Jmprovement in hand-stamps



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

E. E. BARRETT, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

iMPRovEMENT 1N HAND-STAM Ps.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 18,947, dated December29, 1857i a press embracing my improvement; and Fig.

2, aside elevation of the same with one side of the standard removed, aportion of the frame for this purpose where it is cut through beingshown in section. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section of the inkfountain and` spreader.

My improvement consists in a peculiar arrangement and combination ofdevices, by means of which the stamp is inked and theimpression made bya single blow of the hand without the necessity of spreading the inkupon the surface of the roll, which has a tendency not only to daub itup, making the impression heavy on one part and thin on another, butrequires to be constantly replenished, requiring unremitting attentionon the part of the operator, which cannot always be conveniently given,hence causing it to make very imperfect impressions, defects which haveprevented the more general introduc tion of all handstamp pressesheretofore made.

To enable others skilled in the art to make, construct, and use myinvention, I will now proceed to describe its parts in detail.

In the accompanying drawings the frame of the press is represented asconsisting of a bed-plate A, upon which are erected curved standards Band B', having a hollow cylinder C, cast on their front end, throughwhich the shaft D of the stamp-box E passes. On the end of this rod orshaft is cut a male screw, which takes into a female screw cut in ashank or collar E, secured on the upper side of the type-box.Immediately beneath the lower end of this screw is passed a pin a, underwhich the forked end of a lever G bears, by means of which the stamp israised to the position shown in Fig. l by the tractive power of a spiralspring II, one end of which is secured to the other end of the lever Gand the other to the bed-plate between the standards B and B. This leverhas its fulcrum at b on the upper edge of the plate I, that connects thestandards to each other. The upper edge of this plate for this purposeis beveled to enable the lever to turn with theleast possibledifliculty. To the upper side, near the bifurcated end of this lever G,is secured a connecting-rod J by means of a hinged joint, whose otherend is attached in a similar manner to a standard or lever K, erected onthe frame L of the inking-roll M. This frame is pivoted to the standardsB and B' at c and forks out at one end into two arms d, between whichthe inkin g-roll M is mounted in suitable bearings ein such manneras tobe capable of turning freely around its axis. To the other end f of thisframe is attached one end of a spiral spring N, whose other end issecured to a bolt g, made fast tothe standards. The typeboX E isprovided with blank dies for holding the type in place, and which may beadjusted as required by means of a thumb-screw h, which is so arrangedas to compress the whole together. Thetype-boxhavingbeen depressed by asingle blow of the hand or finger, as shown in red lines at Fig. 2, andthe pressure removed, it is instantly forced back to its origi- 'nalposition by the traction of the spring H on the end of the lever G. Asthe type-box rises, the spring N, acting on the end of the inking-rollframe L, forces the roll over the type, thus inking it. In depressingthe typebox to make an impression the same opera tion is repeated out ina backward direction, as the roll by the pressure of the box upon itcauses it to traverse over the face of the type as it forces the frameof the roll downward to the position shown in red lines, Fig. 2, thisbeing further assisted by the action of the connecting-rod J, which, asthe lever G that raises the type-box is depressed, causes the roll-frameL to turn on its axis c, thus remov ing in a great measure any injuriouseffect the pressure of the type-box upon the roll might have and leavingonly sufficient pressure upon it to insure the perfect inking of thetype- The inking-roll M consists of a hollow per forated cylinder, intowhich the ink (of a proper consistency) is placed and afterward securedby means of a cap-piece z', which screws into the end of the cylinder.On either end of this cylinder are secured journals, which turn inbearings e, formed in the end of the arms d of its frame. Round theouter periphery of this roll is secured in any suitable manner a pieceof felt cloth or other analogous substance of a soft and spongy nature,which absorbs the ink as it gradually oozes through the perforations inthe cylinder, thus forming a fountain-roll, by means of which a largenumber of impressions can be made without the necessity of smearing thesurface of the cloth with the ink after a very few impressions have beenmade.

The roller inpassing from under the typeboX is brought into contact witha diifusingplate O, which spreads the ink evenly over its surface, andwhich for this purpose is made of a breadth equal to the distancebetween the two caps of the roll. Instead of the roll being made hollow,this plate may be made double in such manner as to form an ink-fountain,in the bottom of which holes may be cut, through which the ink may oozeto coat the roll; but as it would still-ooze -through when not in useand be wasted, an

adjusted cover m, Fig. 3, must be used, to the upper side of which a pinn is secured, which passes through a slot o, formed in the upper plate,by means of which the ink can be shut off or let in, as required, bysimply sliding the plate over or back from the holes; but as the platemay have a tendency to turn on the pin n as an axis, and thus noteffectually cut of the supply of ink, guideways p may be formed oneither side, which will prevent such an occurrence. i

If thought advisable, both the inking-roll M and spreader 0 may be madefountains;

but, as a general rule, either of itself will be found all sufficient.

In securing the spreader to the standards B and B it is done in suchmanner that it can be adjusted either to bear tightly or loosely on theroll, as may be deemed most advisable, itfor this purpose having a platej on its rear end provided with slots lo, through which screws 1 pass,by means of which it is secured to the frame of the machine. On theupper side of this fountain is provided an orifice, through which theink is supplied to it, there being a cap-piece s provided for it, andwhich 'Y ts into it to prevent the escape of the ink. The roll as itpasses along beneath this fountain O under a slight pressure becomescoated with the necessary quantity of ink for the inking of the type, sothat by either of these plans at each blow of the hand the type is inkedand an impression made, and that for a long continued time, withoutrequiring the constant attention of the operatorto see that the roll issutliciently charged to make a perfect impression or to smear the inkon, as in the case with all other hand-stamp presses 110W 1D USS.

I claim- So arranging and constructing the ink-fountain 'O that whencombined with the inkingroller of a hand-stamp press it shall serve thedouble purpose of inking the roller and distributing the ink over itssurface, in the mauner substantially as described.

E. E. BARRETT.

Witnesses:

P. HANNAY, W. LEsKI.

